Protests in Hudson, Ashland lead to empty shelves at Market Basket

Tuesday

Jul 22, 2014 at 6:24 PMJul 22, 2014 at 6:24 PM

By Anamika RoyDaily News Staff

ASHLAND - The protest by angry workers outside Market Basket Tuesday morning was going full throttle while inside the semi-desolate store the shelves were edging toward empty.Pond Street was lined with employees holding up signs that read “Don’t shop at Market Basket until Arthur T. is back” and “Arthur T. is our CEO.”Arthur T. Demoulas, former president of Market Basket who had been in charge since 2008, was fired on June 23 with two other executives. The conflict stemmed from a family dispute involving his father Telemachus "Mike'' Demoulas, who had been involved in messy lawsuits with the heirs of his late brother George Demoulas.The company started as a small grocery store in Lowell in 1916 and is now a multimillion dollar chain with 71 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. The chain is known for low prices and good customer service.“I come here for the people that work here,” said Nancy Kelly of Natick.Kelly has been a loyal Market Basket customer for many years. When she pulled into the parking lot on Tuesday, one of the employees yelled, “Nancy, please don’t go in!”Kelly got emotional watching the employees protest.“I could cry for these people. They’re afraid for their livelihood,” she said. “I cannot in clear conscience go inside.”Many customers who were unaware of the conflict were pleasantly surprised but confused when they walked into the largely empty grocery store.“I noticed something was different,” said Virginia Masas of Framingham.There was a similar scene at the Market Basket in Hudson.“I didn’t even know they had this going on. It’s such a shame,” said Joanna Antonio of Maynard.As part of the protest, employees have shut down the company’s warehouse and main office until Demoulas is reinstated as CEO.“Sorry for the inconvenience at this time, but it is imperative that we make a stand for what is right,” read a sign hanging on the empty shelves in the Hudson store’s dairy aisle.The warehouse closure has mainly depleted the store’s supply of produce, meat and some dairy products, leading to empty shelves and irritated customers.“Are you kidding me? This is a ghost place,” said Frank Bond of Hudson, while pushing an empty shopping cart past an unstocked meat section.A group of employees was protesting outside the Hudson store as well, asking customers to sign a petition to show their support. The employees work their regular hours and protest during their time off.“Today, honestly it’s dead,” said Liam Carroll, a Hudson Market Basket employee, about the low customer turnout.Nick Sevastis has worked at Market Basket stores for 33 years at more than four branches. He was protesting at the Hudson store on Tuesday, wearing a Market Basket tie and holding a sign showing a giraffe and the words “stick your neck out.”“Our goal is to get Artie T. back,” he said, “We want it back to the way it was.”Anamika Roy can be reached at 508-626-3957 or aroy@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @anamikaroy.